(Taken from the State of Nevada Energy Conservation Plan)

Measures that will have the greatest effect on usage in most work environments

Heating and cooling accounts for about 30 - 50% of our energy costs.

• Use the automatic setting on your thermostat so the fan turns on only when you need heating or cooling. On the manual setting, the fan operates continuously and can increase your energy usage.
• Set the heating controls at 68 degrees F. (70 degrees F for seniors) with a set back at night or when unoccupied to 60 - 65 degrees.
• Cooling controls should be set no lower than 78 degrees F.
• Consider raising cooling settings and lowering heating settings on programmable thermostats for both occupied and unoccupied hours.
• Heating and cooling should start no sooner than ½ hour before you begin the day.
• Heating and cooling may be set back ½ hour before the end of the day.
• Clean or replace filters regularly. Keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog vent.
• Do not use space heaters if your building has centralized heating.
• In the winter, close window coverings at the end of the day to cut down on heat loss. In the summer, close window coverings during the day to avoid the heat gain of direct sunlight.
• Turn off your computer monitor when your are away from your desk for more than 15 minutes and at the end of the day. Most monitors now come with power management features; talk to your staff's computer expert about activating these features. Note that screen savers don't save energy; complex screen savers actually increase energy use.
• Eliminate unnecessary hot plates, coffeepots and other small appliances in your area and turn off all tools, office machines and portable appliances when not in use. If you're the last one leaving at the end of the day, turn off the photocopiers and other office equipment. Instead of having many coffee pots in various cubicles, select one to cover the whole office.
• Turn off all lights at night, including task and office lights.
• Use natural light whenever possible. Turn off lights near windows when daylight is adequate.
• Turn off lights when they are not in use.